UNITED NATIONS DECADE OF FAMILY FARMING 2019-2028 - Global Action Plan
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UNITED NATIONS DECADE OF
FAMILY FARMING 2019-2028
Global Action Plan
1
UNITED NATIONS
DECADE OF FAMILY
FARMING 2019-2028
Global Action Plan
1
Required citation: FAO and IFAD. 2019. United Nations Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028. Global Action Plan. Rome. Licence: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO. The designations employed and the presentation of material in this information product do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) concerning the legal or development status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The mention of specific companies or products of manufacturers, whether or not these have been patented, does not imply that these have been endorsed or recommended by FAO and IFAD in preference to others of a similar nature that are not mentioned. ISBN 978-92-5-131472-2 (FAO) © FAO and IFAD, 2019 Some rights reserved. This work is made available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial- ShareAlike 3.0 IGO licence (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo). Under the terms of this licence, this work may be copied, redistributed and adapted for non-commercial purposes, provided that the work is appropriately cited. In any use of this work, there should be no suggestion that FAO endorses any specific organization, products or services. The use of the FAO and IFAD logos is not permitted. If the work is adapted, then it must be licensed under the same or equivalent Creative Commons licence. If a translation of this work is created, it must include the following disclaimer along with the required citation: “This translation was not created by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) or IFAD. FAO/IFAD is not responsible for the content or accuracy of this translation. The original English edition shall be the authoritative edition.” Disputes arising under the licence that cannot be settled amicably will be resolved by mediation and arbitration as described in Article 8 of the licence except as otherwise provided herein. The applicable mediation rules will be the mediation rules of the World Intellectual Property Organization http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/mediation/rules and any arbitration will be conducted in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Third-party materials. Users wishing to reuse material from this work that is attributed to a third party, such as tables, figures or images, are responsible for determining whether permission is needed for that reuse and for obtaining permission from the copyright holder. The risk of claims resulting from infringement of any third-party- owned component in the work rests solely with the user. Sales, rights and licensing. FAO information products are available on the FAO website (www.fao.org/publications) and can be purchased through publications-sales@fao.org. Requests for commercial use should be submitted via: www.fao.org/contact-us/licence-request. Queries regarding rights and licensing should be submitted to: copyright@fao.org. COVER PHOTOGRAPH ©FAO/Marco Longari RWANDA: Papaya seeds are planted at a tree nursery.
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Contents
Acknowledgements 6
Foreword 7
Introduction 8
Background 8
Family Farming and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 9
The challenges of food systems and family farming 12
Action Plan 13
Vision statement of the UN Decade of Family Farming 13
Overall design 13
Ensuring effective operationalization 15
Monitoring and reporting 18
Pillar 1. Develop an enabling policy environment to strengthen family farming 20
Pillar 2–Transversal. Support youth and ensure the generational sustainability of 28
family farming
Pillar 3–Transversal. Promote gender equity in family farming and the 34
leadership role of rural women
Pillar 4. Strengthen family farmers’ organizations and capacities to generate 42
knowledge, represent farmers and provide inclusive services in the
urban-rural continuum
Pillar 5. Improve socio-economic inclusion, resilience and well-being of 52
family farmers, rural households and communities
Pillar 6. Promote sustainability of family farming for climate-resilient food systems 60
Pillar 7. Strengthen the multidimensionality of family farming to promote 68
social innovations contributing to territorial development and food systems
that safeguard biodiversity, the environment and culture
5
Acknowledgements
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the Special thanks is extended to the global family
United Nations (FAO) and the International farmer organizations, La Via Campesina,
Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) the World Farmers’ Organization and to the
Joint Secretariat of the UNDFF led by Marcela World Rural Forum for their commitment and
Villarreal (Director, Partnerships Division, continuous contributions. We particularly
FAO) and Ashwani K. Muthoo (Director, Global thank all the members of the FAO Technical
Engagement and Multilateral Relations, IFAD) Committee on the UN Decade on Family Farming
would like to thank all those who contributed to (comprised of the Strategic Programme Teams
the design of the Global Action Plan of the UN and Regional Offices of FAO), as well as IFAD’s
Decade of Family Farming 2019-2028. Global Engagement and Multilateral Relations
Division, the Research and Impact Assessment
Special thanks is extended to the International Division, and the Sustainable Production, Markets
Steering Committee of the UN Decade of Family and Institutions Division who provided regular
Farming for its strategic guidance and contributions feedback on the Global Action Plan during
in the development of the Action Plan. its development. We also thank FAO’s Family
Farming and Partnerships with Civil Society
Technical guidance was provided by Guilherme Organizations Unit, the Responsible Agricultural
Brady (Head of Family Farming and Partnerships Investment Team, the Policy Economics
with the Civil Society Organizations Unit, FAO) and Institutions Branch of the Fisheries
and Torben Nilsson (Senior Global Engagement and Aquaculture Department, the Climate,
Specialist, Global Engagement and Multilateral Biodiversity, Land and Water Department
Relations, IFAD). and the Nutrition and Food Systems Division
for their contributions. Finally, the work of the
The consultation and drafting process of communication specialists of FAO and IFAD is
the Global Action Plan was led by Anna here duly acknowledged.
Korzenszky (FAO) and Edoardo Calza Bini
(FAO). Significant contributions were provided
by Sara Hassan (FAO), Mario Acunzo (FAO),
David Suttie (IFAD), Jeff Campbell (FAO),
Jhony Zapata (FAO), Sophie Grouwels (FAO),
Svea Senesie (FAO) and Anna Rappazzo (FAO).
The support of Rodrigo Castañeda-Sepúlveda
(FAO), Kayo Takenoshita (FAO), Manuel Claros
Oviedo (FAO), Sarah D’Angelo (FAO) and Viola
Paroli is here acknowledged.
6
Foreword
Agriculture today stands at a crossroads. It faces to emerging social, environmental and economic
increasing pressure to provide sufficient, affordable challenges. They don’t just produce food. They
and nutritious food for a growing population, to simultaneously fulfil environmental, social and
coping with climate change and the degradation cultural functions, and are custodians of biodiversity,
of natural resources, including water scarcity, preserving landscape and maintaining community
soil depletion and biodiversity loss. Pervasive and cultural heritage. Further, they have the
and persistent social and economic inequalities knowledge to produce nutritious and culturally
between rural and urban areas have led to an appropriate food as part of local traditions.
unprecedented level of urbanization, and cities that
have limited absorptive capacity face issues related In fact, nothing comes closer to the paradigm of
to social marginalization and sometimes conflict. sustainable food production than family farming.
Family farmers, when supported with affirmative
To feed the world and do it sustainably, an urgent policies and programmes, have a unique capacity
and radical shift in our food systems is necessary. to redress the failure of a world food system that,
To be effective, transformative actions must while producing enough food for all, still wastes
address a complex set of interconnected objectives one third of the food produced, fails to reduce
encompassing economic, social and environmental hunger and the different forms of malnutrition, and
dimensions. Family farmers–including pastoralists, even generates social inequalities.
fishers, foresters, indigenous people and other
groups of food producers–are at the heart of this The Global Action Plan of the United Nations
issue. They provide the majority of the world’s Decade of Family Farming (2019-2028)
food, are the major investors in agriculture and the represents a tangible result of an extensive and
backbone of the rural economic structure. inclusive global consultation process involving a
wide array of different partners around the world.
In view of these challenges, the United Nations The purpose of the Plan is to mobilize concrete,
proclaimed the United Nations Decade of coordinated actions to overcome challenges family
Family Farming (2019-2028) in December farmers face, strengthen their investment capacity,
2017, providing the international community and thereby attain the potential benefits of their
an extraordinary opportunity to address family contributions to transform our societies and put in
farming from a holistic perspective, in order to place long-term and sustainable solutions.
achieve substantial transformations in current food
systems that will contribute to achieving the 2030 With the launch of the United Nations Decade
Agenda for Sustainable Development. of Family Farming (2019-2028), we reiterate
our determination and commitment to support
By placing family farming at the centre of the concerted actions to fulfil the ambitions of the
international agenda for a period of ten years, 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and
this Decade of Family Farming provides an to step up interventions for a healthy, resilient and
unprecedented possibility to achieve positive sustainable food system. Let us put family farming
change throughout global food systems. Family at the centre to lead this transformation for this
farmers have proven their capacity to develop Decade and beyond.
new strategies and provide innovative responses
José Graziano da Silva Gilbert F. Houngbo
FAO Director-General President of IFAD 7
Introduction
Background
The Decade of Family Farming provides an extraordinary opportunity for the United Nations to achieve
its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in an inclusive, collaborative and coherent way. Putting family
farming and all family-based production models1 at the focus of interventions for a period of ten years, will
contribute to a world free of hunger and poverty, where natural resources are managed sustainably, and
where no one is left behind–corresponding to the top commitments of the 2030 Agenda.
Family farmers hold unique potential to become key agents of development strategies. Family farming is
the predominant form of food and agricultural production2 in both developed and developing countries,
producing over 80 percent of the world’s food in value terms.3 Given the multidimensional nature of family
farming, the farm and family, food production and life at home, farm ownership and work, traditional
knowledge and innovative farming solutions, the past, present and future are all deeply intertwined.
Family farming has been gaining global attention since 2014, which was designated the United Nations’
International Year of Family Farming (IYFF). By dedicating an International Year to family farming, the
United Nations repositioned family farming at the centre of agricultural, environmental and social policies in
national agendas and achieved a shift towards a more equal and balanced development.4 The IYFF fuelled
a robust process of political dialogue among the 197 Member States of FAO, involving all relevant actors,
which resulted in the formulation of national and regional policies, programmes, activities and institutional
arrangements in support of family farming.5 Multi-actor platforms, including around 50 National
Committees on Family Farming (NCFF), have been created for policy dialogue, stimulating strong political
commitment in favour of family farming (high-level political declarations and civil society mobilizations at
national and regional levels).6
In light of the achievements of the IYFF, and as a result of the ensuing IYFF+10 campaign launched on
20 December 2017, the United Nations General Assembly proclaimed 2019-2028 as the UN Decade of
Family Farming7 (UNDFF) at its 72nd Session. UNDFF serves as a framework for countries to develop
1 In this document the notion of family farming refers to all types of family-based production models in
agriculture, fishery forestry, pastoral and aquaculture, and include peasants, indigenous peoples, traditional
communities, fisher folks, mountain farmers, forest users and pastoralists.
2 In this document, agriculture refers to crop, livestock, fisheries (capture and aquaculture) and forestry.
3 FAO, 2014.The State of Food and Agriculture. Innovation in family farming, Rome, FAO.
4 Graziano Da Silva, J. 2014. The family farming revolution. Opinion Article. Available at: www.fao.org/about/
who-we-are/director-gen/faodg-opinionarticles/.../c/212364/.
5 Some significant examples include the Gambia’s reformed seed policy (creation of a Seed Council, on which
civil society organizations have obtained three seats); the Decree 1030/2014 in Argentina (creation of a State
Secretariat for Family Farming).
6 Among others: the 6th Berlin Agriculture Ministers’ Summit (Germany, 18 January 2014) at the Global Forum on Food
and Agriculture (GFFA) issued a declaration signed by 65 ministers in support of family farming; the Declaration of the
Heads of States and Governments of the Community of the Latin America and Caribbean States (CELAC) /Havana,
Cuba, 28-29 January 2014/; the Ministerial Conference for the IYFF for Asia and the Pacific (Chennai, India, 7 August
2014); the Declaration on Family Farming adopted by the Latin American Parliament (26 August 2014).
7 United Nations General Assembly, 72nd session, 72/239. United Nations Decade of Family Farming (2019–
2028), (A/RES/72/239).
8 8
public policies and investments to support family farming and contribute to the achievement of the United
Nations’ SDGs. It will address family farming from a holistic perspective for rural poverty eradication
in all its forms and dimensions, while giving the SDGs a central role in the transition towards more
sustainable food systems and societies. To guarantee the success of the UNDFF, action must be supported
by coherent, cross-sectoral policies, concurrently addressing the environmental, economic and social
dimensions of agricultural and rural development.
To oversee the implementation of the UNDFF, an international steering committee was established,
composed of representatives of Member States and family farmer organizations. The International
Steering Committee of the UN Decade of Family Farming (ISC UNDFF) is supported by the FAO and
IFAD joint secretariat.8
Concept of Family Farming9
Family Farming (including all family-based agricultural activities) is a means of organizing
agricultural, forestry, fisheries, pastoral and aquaculture production that is managed and
operated by a family, and is predominantly reliant on the family labour of both women and
men. The family and the farm are linked, co-evolve and combine economic, environmental,
social and cultural functions.
Family Farming and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development
The UNDFF will channel strong political commitment at national, regional and global levels, in the spirit of
global partnership and solidarity, particularly supporting the creation of an enabling environment for family
farmers to be empowered and supported. Key factors include identifying and implementing concrete policies
and actions associated with effective and predictable investment modalities. With that in mind, this 10-year
process primarily contributes to the 2030 Development Agenda through revitalizing the global partnership
for sustainable development and helping the mobilization of the means of implementation (SDG 17). The
UNDFF as a multi-stakeholder alliance can reinforce the renewed global partnership for development
by: enhancing North-South, South-South and triangular, regional and international cooperation with a
focus on knowledge-sharing and innovation tailored to family farming (target 17.6); fostering international
support for implementing effective and targeted capacity-building in developing countries to support
national sustainable development plans (17.9); supporting the joint and coordinated actions for sustainable
development, supported by multi-stakeholder partnerships (17.16), among others.
In the framework of this improved global partnership, the UNDFF aims at strengthening family farming
and promoting diversified and innovative food systems while contributing to the 2030 Agenda in an even
more comprehensive and coherent way. The seven pillars of work identified (see below) as building blocks
for the implementation of the UNDFF are fully consistent with the spirit and guiding principles of the SDGs
framework:
8 Further information on the governance mechanism in UNITED NATIONS DECADE OF FAMILY FARMING
2019-2028. Guiding Document.
9 Conceptual definition proposed by the International Steering Committee of the IYFF. FAO, 2014, The State of
Food and Agriculture. Innovation in Family Farming, p. 9.
9• Leaving no one behind: Many factors–including social, political and economic–can
contribute to a person or a group experiencing vulnerability, poverty, poor nutritional
standards, lack of opportunities or low standard of life. Moreover, these ‘group-
based’ inequalities intersect. A key challenge ‘leaving no one behind’ is learning how
to recognize and respond to the relationships between these different factors and
how they combine, thus requiring action across all SDGs. The different Pillars of the
UNDFF Action Plan (with a more specific reference to Pillar 5 on socio-economic well-
being and resilience, and on Pillars 2 and 3 on women and youth) address issues that
can tackle inequality, discrimination and marginalization. Achieving progress towards
the well-being of family farmers helps convert their potential into reality, making them
agents of change who contribute to the realization of multiple SDGs.
• Multidimensionality: Family farmers are key actors. Their multifunctionality allows
them to act holistically on various relevant aspects of sustainable development. For
instance: they produce most of the world’s food, in particular the food consumed by
the rural and urban poor; they preserve biodiversity, they manage natural resources
and ecosystems, they preserve and share traditional knowledge, they contribute
to the resilience of people and ecosystems, and when empowered, they add
economic value and foster inclusive economic growth. The pillars of the UNDFF aim
to integrate the three dimensions of sustainable development–economic growth,
social inclusion and environmental protection–as well as support participation
and partnerships among different actors. Each pillar allows for integrated work on
multiple and interconnected SDGs with benefits accruing across sustainability and
development dimensions.
• A nexus approach: Almost four years after the approval of the SDGs, many
countries are still struggling to implement comprehensive plans, which are a
prerequisite of the indivisibility and interconnectedness of the SDGs. By virtue of the
multidimensionality of sustainable development, the SDGs are indivisibly connected
to each other. The UNDFF pillars help identify nexuses across the SDGs, facilitating
the identification of priorities, as well as comprehensive plans and institutional
arrangements. Taking into account complex development nexuses reduces the
risk of sector-specific actions undermining each other, while helping analyse
trade-offs and synergies between expected results. Ultimately, this enhances the
implementation of the 2030 Agenda while delivering the UNDFF’s expected results
with improved efficiency. A more detailed description of nexuses promoted by the
different pillars of the UNDFF workplan is included below.
• Means of implementation (MoI): Identified in the 2030 Agenda, MoI include
finance, trade, capacity-building and/or science, technology and innovation, policy
environment, and partnerships. They enable the deployment of the SDGs at their
maximum potential. The UNDFF specifically focus on innovation, knowledge-
sharing, capacity-building and technology access and/or transfer as the basis to
formulate impactful actions and strategies that effectively support the realization
of various integrated sets of SDGs through the achievement of its specific pillars/
outcomes. In other words, the UNDFF can help the identification and mobilization
of MoI to support the SDGs, particularly at country level, and raise awareness on
needs for MoI globally, regionally, nationally and locally.
10Reinforcing the capacity of family
farmers and their organizations makes
family farmers more able to serve their
Poor family farmers can shift from communities
subsistence to creating income
generation opportunities in rural areas Recognition, voice and an enabling environment
will support their potential as agents of change
Social protection policies and resilient
livelihoods are key to exiting poverty
traps and providing opportunities
Family farmers and their
organizations can deliver inclusive
rural services and contribute to
Family farmers can implement resilient territorial development
and highly productive agricultural Improved access to basic services and capacity
practices that create income development in rural areas is key to make family
generation opportunities farmers agents of change
Policies to improve their access to natural
resources, productive inputs and tailored
services unleash their productive potential Women farmers are essential to
achieve sustainable, productive
and inclusive food systems
Gender equality in terms of improved access to
resources, technology, and a greater voice in
decision-making is a key step towards creating the
world we want
FAMILY FARMING
SUPPORTS SDGs
SDGs
SUPPORT
FAMILY
FARMING
FAMILY FARMING
SUPPORTS SDGs
*
Family farmers can contribute to
transforming food systems to make
them more sustainable
Policies should support family farmers in
reducing food loss and in managing Family farmers enable diversified food
natural resources in a sustainable and systems that can create job
efficient manner opportunities in rural areas and
positively affect rural-urban mobility,
particularly for youth
Access to infrastructure, technology, and to
Family farmers can promote food tailored innovations that meet their needs is
systems that are more resilient to what they need to improve our common future
climate change
Improving the ability of family farmers to
adapt to climate-related shocks is a
precondition for unleashing their potential Family farmers can enable food systems
that strengthen sustainable integration
between urban and rural areas
With innovative market solutions, people living
Family farmers can preserve in both rural and urban areas can enjoy healthy,
biodiversity, teh environment and culture nutritious and safe food
Safeguarding their cultural and natural
heritage lies at the heart of this Figure 1
transformation
11The challenges of food systems and family farming
Food systems face increasingly pressing challenges such as hunger and diet-related diseases, the
need to provide a growing global population with sufficient and healthy food, the need to reduce
food loss and waste, the depletion of natural resources, the increase of greenhouse gas emissions,
environmental degradation, climate change and its related shocks and stresses.10
Family farmers, including peasants, indigenous peoples, traditional communities, pastoralists, fishers,
mountain farmers, and many other groups of food producers, hold unique potential to promote
transformative changes in how food is grown, produced, processed and distributed, which enhances
territorial development.11
Enabling and supporting family farmers to attain diversified, innovative and dynamic agricultural
systems can increase the availability of nutritious, sustainably produced and culturally appropriate
food, which can incentivize healthy diets while promoting the transition towards context-specific,
diversified, resilient and sustainable food systems.
Viable food systems that are built around family farmers can offer new economic opportunities and
attractive employment. They also promote rural services (which are complementary to agricultural
activities), while at the same time increasing rural-urban linkages and synergies through a short food
supply chain, which can provide promising solutions to eliminating food loss and waste.
The multifunctionality of family farmers related to their roles within the community and as caretakers
of the environment allows for efficient and sustainable use and management of natural resources,
such as the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, the prevention of soil depletion,
water pollution and environmental degradation. It also promotes social inclusion and equity, the
preservation/transmission of knowledge and culture, and the provision of ecosystem services and
landscape management.
This complexity requires adequate interconnected policies and actions that concurrently address the
environmental, social and economic challenges of our society.
10 FAO, 2017. The future of food and agriculture: Trends and challenges. FAO, Rome.
11 See e.g. Herrero, et al. 2017, Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a
transdisciplinary analysis. The Lancet Planetary Health, 1: e33-e42; Graeub et al. 2016, The State of Family
Farms in the World. World Development, 87: 115; Lowder et al. 2016, The Number, Size, and Distribution
of Farms, Smallholder Farms, and Family Farms Worldwide; World Development, 87: 16-29; HLPE. 2016.
Sustainable Agricultural Development for Food Security and Nutrition: What Roles for Livestock? A report by
the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security.
Rome; HLPE. 2017. Sustainable Forestry for Food Security and Nutrition. A report by the High-Level Panel
of Experts on 45 Food Security and Nutrition of the Committee on World Food Security, Rome; HLPE 2014.
Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture for food security and nutrition. A report by the High-Level Panel
of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition. Rome, Italy, June 2014; HLPE. 2013. Investing in Smallholder
Agriculture for Food Security. A report by the High-Level Panel of Experts on Food Security and Nutrition of
the Committee on World Food Security. Rome, Committee on World Food Security; Van der Ploeg, J.D. 2010.
The peasantries of the twenty-first century: the commoditisation debate revisited. Journal of Peasant Studies,
37(1): 1–30; De Schutter, O. 2010. Agroecology and the Right to Food. Report presented to the Human Rights
Council 8
A/HRC/16/49, Sixteenth Session. New York, USA, United Nations.
12Action Plan
Vision statement of the UN Decade of Family Farming
The vision of the UN Decade of Family Farming: A world where diverse, healthy and sustainable
food and agricultural systems flourish, where resilient rural and urban communities enjoy a high
quality of life in dignity, equity, free from hunger and poverty.
Family farming is essential to achieve this vision.
Sensible policies, programmes and regulations considering the needs of present and future
generations must protect and expand the agency, inclusion and economic capacity of family
farmers putting their diversity at the centre of sustainable development and contributing to the
Agenda 2030. This journey must start now.
Overall design
The Global Action Plan of the UN Decade of Family Farming 2019-202812 aims at accelerating actions
undertaken in a collective, coherent and comprehensive manner to support family farmers, who are
key agents of sustainable development.
Given the extensive heterogeneity of family farms around the world, general policy prescriptions are
unlikely to be relevant to all family farmers.13 To effectively support family farming, it is necessary to
consider its particular geographic and socio-economic specificities and to develop context-specific
interventions focused on the explicit features of the relevant family farmer groups, while building on
locally available resources and capacities.
This plan is meant to provide a detailed guidance for the international community, including: local and
national governments, parliamentarians, specialized agencies and other relevant bodies of the United
12 The Global Action Plan was designed through a global consultation process gathering inputs from all relevant
actors around the world about the main challenges, priorities and potential contributions of family farming to
sustainable agriculture, forestry and fisheries at different levels. Data collected include key elements of around
60 direct conversations (semi-structured interviews) with representatives of various stakeholders (government
representatives, family farmers, civil society organizations, consumers and rural workers). Indicative actions
also emerged from the direct submission of action-proposals by global family farmer networks (by the
International Planning Committee for Food Security, World Rural Forum and La Via Campesina). Finally, the
plan also incorporates results of 672 responses collected through the online consultation launched on the
FAO Family Farming Knowledge Platform in 6 languages, (in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, Russian,
and Chinese). A broad discussion was organized on the first draft of the Global Action Plan at the Global
Conference on Family Farming, held in Bilbao, Spain on 25-29 March 2019 resulting in the final version of
the Global Action Framework approved by the International Steering Committee of the Decade of Family
Farming and presented here.
13 FAO, 2014. The State of Food and Agriculture. Innovation in family farming. FAO, Rome.
13Nations, international financial institutions and other international mechanisms, regional bodies,
farmers and producer organizations, academic and research institutes, civil society organizations, and
small and medium enterprises and the private sector, to achieve the main objectives of the UNDFF
outlined in the vision statement.
It serves as a tool to create connections with ongoing processes14 and recommended approaches,
where family farming, rural development and sustainable livelihood are already strongly interwoven,
in order to develop and implement strategies at the global, regional, national and local levels. It offers
a comprehensive instrument to support efforts to achieve the SDGs in the context of the progressive
realization of the Right to Adequate Food.
The Global Action Plan outlined here recommends a series of indicative and interconnected actions
from the global to the local level following the mutually reinforcing pillars of work.
Indicative actions presented under the pillars are to be considered as guidance for all actors in
building plans and strategies at different levels. While providing potential approaches or entry points,
they cover a wide range of possible areas of interventions simultaneously targeting different aspects
(including obstacles) of family farmers to be assessed in a holistic manner for concrete action.
The Action Plan provides an extensive list of activities through various modalities of action, including:
data collection pertaining to specific issues, advisory and extension services, and communication
and advocacy activities tailored to target groups. Developing the capacities of family farmers and
other stakeholders across a wide spectrum must be reinforced as a key component, along with
strengthening inclusive governance mechanisms. These activities can provide a base for appropriate
and adequately financed public policies that support family farming.
According to the pillars of work presented above, an enabling policy environment (Pillar 1) needs to
be in place to achieve and sustain progress in food security and nutrition. This enabling environment
can provide a framework for specific strategies and interventions tailored to family farming groups
facing distinctive economic, environmental and social realities, and equipped with various assets.
To guarantee the future of family farming while building on the essential contribution of women
to agriculture, transformative actions must be taken to incentivize the active engagement, and the
leadership and socio-economic inclusion of youth and women. Activities to ensure the generational
renewal (Pillar 2–Transversal) and to promote gender equity and equality (Pillar 3–Transversal) in
family farming will be mainstreamed in all the other work pillars.
Providing tailored support to organizations of family farmers (Pillar 4) is paramount. This includes
all the various sectors of food producers, such as farmers, fishers, pastoralists, forest users and
indigenous peoples. This is essential not only to enhance and amplify sustainable food production
practices, or to strengthen their capacity to access and generate economic opportunities, but also
to empower them to better access necessary resources, services and markets and to bolster their
collective action to participate meaningfully in negotiations and policy processes.
Helping family farmers increase their productivity is not enough. Reflecting the diversity of family
farmers and improving their livelihood and economic viability in a manner that enables them to escape
14 Related processes include the UN Decade of Nutrition 2016-2025, the UN Decade of Biodiversity 2011-
2020, the UN Decade of Water 2018-2028, implementation of internationally agreed instruments, etc.
14poverty–a focus on the provision of the minimum requirements for the households of rural family
farmers–is also required (Pillar 5). Specific steps are essential to promote sustainable food production,
processing and distribution practices in agriculture, livestock, fisheries and aquaculture, and forestry
(Pillar 6) and, further, to support the multifunctional nature and performance of family farming,
which provide services to food production, nourishing cultures and agro-biodiversity and providing
diversified rural economic opportunities (Pillar 7).
While developing the intervention under the specific pillars, actions are to be adapted and
contextualized according to concrete regional, national and local (territorial) sociocultural and socio-
economic conditions. Moreover, as a precondition for the successful implementation of the UNDFF,
a bottom-up approach to implementation is recommended, in participative and inclusive processes,
placing family farmers at the forefront. While encouraging multi-actor collaboration at all levels, the
Global Action Plan also invites all actors to revise their specific roles and responsibilities vis-à-vis the
support of family farming and increasing the sustainability of our food systems.
Ensuring effective operationalization
This section presents basic implementation modalities which will be promoted by the UNDFF to
initiate country-driven, inclusive and bottom-up activities to progress with the implementation of the
Global Action Plan.
Among the initial steps in the implementation of the UNDFF, synergies with other international
bodies and processes relevant to family farming will be created. Examples of related processes with
opportunities to optimize efforts and promote mutual benefits include the UN Decade of Action
on Nutrition 2016-2025, the UN Decade of Water 2018-2028, and the UN Decade of Ecosystem
Restoration 2021-2030. The UNDFF will also seek opportunities to support the implementation and
benefit from activities related to agreed international frameworks (the Voluntary Guidelines to support
the Progressive Realization of the Right to Adequate Food in the Context of National Food Security,
the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests
in the Context of National Food Security to Food, the Voluntary Guidelines for Securing Sustainable
Small-Scale Fisheries in the Context of Food Security and Poverty Eradication, the UN Declaration of
the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas, among others). Concrete joint road
maps with priority initiatives reinforcing mutual benefits with the various initiatives will be developed
to strengthen partnerships, increase family farming visibility and reinforce the implementation of
actions for the support of family farming.
A solid process will be promoted to contextualize the implementation of the Global Action Plan of the
UNDFF at national and regional levels. Governments and regional intergovernmental spaces will be
encouraged to identify and map existing efforts taken at national and/or regional levels to strengthen
family farming. This mapping process should incorporate existing ongoing relevant actions and a
needs assessment of different actors in order to build integrated and well-tailored interventions
to effectively support family farmers. It is recommended to undertake this process in an inclusive
manner, involving family farmers and other relevant actors, including already existing National
Committees of Family Farming, to guarantee that all actors provide their complementary contributions
according to their specific roles and responsibilities. Including to promote multi-actor collaboration
in order to mobilize key players to convert identified needs and actions into concrete action plans at
national level.
15Figure 2 Overall structure of the Global Action Plan
Pillar 1 Pillar 4
Strengthen family farmers’
Develop an enabling policy organizations and their capacities
environment to strengthen to generate knowledge, represent
farmers’ concerns and provide
family farming inclusive services in rural areas.
Build and strengthen supportive policies,
investments and institutional frameworks
for family farming at local, national and Pillar 5
international levels based on inclusive and Improve socio-economic inclusion,
effective governance and on timely and resilience and well-being of family
geographically relevant data. farmers, rural households and
communities.
Guarantee sustained political commitment
and investment by state and non-state
actors. Create and strengthen
international, national and local
cooperation and partnerships with the
view of promoting the rights and Pillar 6
multifunctional role of family farming.
Promote sustainability of family
farming for climate-resilient food
systems.
Pillar 7
Strengthen the multidimensionality
of family farming to promote social
innovations contributing to territorial
development and food systems that
safeguard biodiversity, the
environment and culture.
16Pillar 2 Ensure the generational sustainability of family farming through enabling
youth accessing land, other natural resources, information, education,
infrastructure and financial services, markets and policymaking processes
Support youth and related to farming. Benefiting from the intergenerational transfer of
ensure the generational tangible and non-tangible farming assets, stimulate young farmers to
sustainability of family interconnect traditional, local knowledge with innovative ideas to become
farming agent of inclusive rural development.
Strengthen the (self-)organization of family farmers within all rural institutions, including associations,
cooperatives and civil society organizations, in order to foster their capacities as agents of change; enhance
the generation and dissemination of knowledge and services to maintain the economic, social, cultural and
environmental diversity of rural areas in a harmonious interconnection with urban areas; and to enhance
family farmers’ meaningful participation in decision making processes at all levels.
Improve family farmers’ livelihoods and enhance their resilience to multiple hazards; increase rural communities’
access to basic social and economic services addressing the multiple social, economic and environmental
vulnerabilities of family farmers and promoting the realization of human rights; facilitate and promote production
diversification to reduce risks, improve the consumption of healthy and nutritious food, and expand and diversify
family farmers’ economic opportunities to access inclusive markets and food systems, to get adequate
remuneration and returns on their investments.
Improve family farmers’ access, responsible management and use of land, water and other natural resources to
enhance sustainable and diversified production that improves resilience to climate change, fostering productivity
and the economic viability of family farmers; promote a more enabling market environment for family farming to
diversify their activities and create new employment opportunities in rural areas; value and promote indigenous and
traditional knowledge; increase the availability of diverse, nutritious and culturally appropriate food contributing to
sustainable, resilient and inclusive food systems and to healthy diets in both rural and urban areas.
Fulfil family framers’ potential towards protecting the environment, preserving the diversity of ecosystem, genetic
resources, culture and life; reinforcing markets that favour family farmers’ services, production and processing
with specific quality characterization; enable more diverse food consumption while increasing economic
opportunities and preserving traditional practices and knowledge, and agricultural biodiversity, contributing to
territorial development.
Pillar 3
Support instruments and conducive actions for the achievement of women’s rights
and gender equality in food and agricultural production. Promote gender equality
by reinforcing women’s organizations, promoting self-empowerment, their own
Promote gender equity capacity development process and women's autonomy and agency, to increase
in family farming and access to and control over productive and financial resources, especially land, as
the leadership role of well as access to information, social protection policies, markets, job opportunities,
education, appropriate extension services, gender--friendly technology, and full
rural women participation in policy processes.
17The Regional and National Action Plans including specific activities will provide a road map for countries
and regions to progress with the implementation of the UNDFF, allowing for the building of accurate
interlinkages to the broader SDG process, and giving value to the multidimensional contributions of
family farming to achieve the SDGs.
The ISC UNDFF will gather country demands and guide FAO and IFAD to ensure support for effective
policies and actions and coherence with their existing mechanisms, especially taking advantage of FAO
and IFAD’s knowledge and experience in facilitating multilateral exchange and cooperation. FAO and
IFAD stand ready to assist family farmers, to strengthen their organizations–also through horizontal
exchanges at different levels–as key agents of operationalizing national plans, while also ensuring that
actions reach the grass-roots level.
The Global Action plan envisages the establishment of 100 National Action Plans of Family Farming by
2024. This target is ambitious, but attainable, especially considering the support received through the
approval of the UN General Assembly (and the 104 countries co-sponsoring the ‘IYFF+10 campaign’).
Responsible authorities are invited to inform the ISC UNDFF of the development of National Actions
Plans and submit those to the Secretariat of the UNDFF, through their respective FAO or IFAD country/
regional representatives. Information received will inform the development of biennial reports (see
‘Monitoring and reporting’ below) providing opportunities to discuss progress made by governments
and other stakeholders in the framework of the UNDFF to contribute to the improvement of the Global
Action Plan.
Monitoring and reporting
To track the progress of the implementation of activities during the UNDFF, a reporting mechanism and
timeline will be developed in line with the monitoring process of the SDGs.
Considering the ongoing monitoring process of the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable
Development, Member States and other UNDFF actors will be invited to align the presentation of their
progress with the regular Voluntary National Reviews (VNR) of the 2030 Agenda. That each country
will have primary responsibility for collecting and making data on the SDG indicators available will
contribute to the results of the UNDFF. Progress reports on the activities undertaken in the framework
of the UNDFF will be assessed under the overall purview of the ISC UNDFF.
Beyond the 2030 Agenda monitoring and accountability system, and in line with declarations on aid
effectiveness such as the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness and the Accra Agenda for Action,
a framework for policy coherence for sustainable development will be established with all relevant
initiatives, platforms and processes. This presents opportunities for synergies and joint actions (the Paris
Agreement and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the United Nations
Decade of Action on Nutrition, and the relevant Committee on World Food Security products, among
others).
For monitoring purposes, an ad hoc Working Group on Monitoring (including different stakeholders,
in particularly Member States, farmers’ organizations, civil society, academia and research centres)
will be established. The group will develop a joint methodology and tools to monitor progress, to raise
awareness about UNDFF monitoring at national and global levels, as well as to help countries enhance
their technical and institutional capacity for monitoring and reporting.
18The establishment of this inclusive monitoring mechanism will aim at enhancing coordination among
the different actors involved, contributing to timely synergies, promoting accountability and sharing
best practices at all levels, including through:
• The follow-up and review of global and country/region-specific family farming
situations, trends, progress, challenges and lessons shared;
• Assessment of the effectiveness of the UNDFF and the extent of the application of
its recommendations on agriculture and rural development policies at national and
subnational levels; and
• Advice provided on the basis of country/regional reviews of the UNDFF’s objectives.
Stakeholders are encouraged to implement national and regional mechanisms to support monitoring.
To guarantee a participatory and inclusive approach of the global monitoring exercise, all actors
working in the framework of the UNDFF (including governments, farmers’ organizations, academia
and research centres, among others) will be encouraged to share their contributions and results
through submitting their reports to the UNDFF website.
Based on data and information gathered through the above mechanisms, and as defined in UN
Resolution (§ 5), the Secretariat of the UNDFF will provide biennial reports to the UN Secretary-
General, in order to inform the UN General Assembly of the overall progress made on the
implementation of UNDFF and on the related SDGs. These reports will be sent to the governing
bodies of FAO and IFAD (FAO’s Council and IFAD’s Executive Board) for review and comments. The
biennial reports will provide opportunities to assess achievements and improve actions carried out
under the framework of the UNDFF. The Global Action Plan of the Decade will be updated after every
biennial report.
As a further opportunity to evaluate the progress of the UNDFF, an open and inclusive dialogue
among all stakeholders will be convened on the occasion of the Global Forum on Family Farming
(every two years) and the two High-Level Events on Family Farming (mid-term and end of the
UNDFF).
19Pillar 1.
Develop an enabling policy
environment to strengthen
family farming
20©FAO/Sergey Kozmin
An enabling social, economic and political environment is a prerequisite for family farmers to lead
the transformation towards zero hunger and poverty, sustainable and healthy food systems, and an
inclusive and resilient society.
Building an enabling policy environment to support the diverse and multi-layered contributions of
family farming to sustainable development requires strong and sustained political commitment.
This political commitment must translate into adequate resourcing along with inclusive and effective
governance and institutional arrangements, including meaningful opportunities for family farming
organizations and civil society to engage in multisectoral and multi-actor mechanisms, platforms
and policy processes (at all stages, including their design, implementation and monitoring) and in the
context of the progressive realization of the Right to Adequate Food.
At the same time, awareness-raising activities–targeting specific groups and also integrated in the
education system at all levels–are important means to reframe society’s perception of family farming and
to increase social recognition of their role and multidimensional contribution to sustainable development.
Effective interventions to support family farmers and their multidimensional nature cannot be
approached through traditional sectoral policies, but require a complex set of integrated, multisectoral
policies, strategies and programmes that address the economic, environmental and social constraints
family farmers and their communities face.
These policy shifts must be grounded on reliable, timely, and locally relevant data and evidence on the
multidimensional performance of family farming and simultaneously look at interconnected objectives
for the whole food system.
By focusing on institutional and policy enabling environment, this pillar would help countries
promoting integrated approaches to achieve and sustain progress over the entire SDGs
framework. Strengthening the policy environment in support of family farming addresses
systemic issues such as improving data generation and availability, reinforcing policy and
institutional coherence and fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships and capacity-building (SDG
17), as well as fostering an improved and transparent governance, strengthening institutions
and promoting laws and policies that foster sustainable development, peace and security (SDG
16). It would also allow for harmonization of comprehensive sustainable development plans
and strategies at country level, with sectoral policies targeting in particular the most vulnerable
segments of the society to leave no one behind, with positive effects on poverty and hunger
eradication (SDGs 1 and 2).
22©FAO/Marco Longari 23
Outcomes Outputs Indicative actions from global to local level
PILLAR 1. Develop an enabling policy environment to strengthen family farming
1.1. Reliable, timely, 1.1.A. Data collection and inclusive 1.1.1. Systematize already existing information and collect and
locally relevant data research assessing multiple document timely, locally relevant data related to the diversity
and evidence about dimensions of family farming and to the multidimensional performance of family farming (size,
the multidimensional conducted to support well-targeted labour, natural resource management, crops, livestock, socio-
performance of family policy design and implementation economic services, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation,
farming available to inform for family farming in all agricultural etc.).
policymaking, monitoring sectors.
and evaluation at all levels.
1.1.2. Review and improve methods applied in agricultural census
in order to record multidimensional contributions and performance
of family farming for the support of policy development.
1.1.3. Support local, participatory and policy-oriented research (co-
creation of knowledge through the collaboration of researchers and
family farmers) on:
• Access to socio-economic services (health, education, social
protection, financial inclusion, etc.);
• Access and adoption of sustainable production practices;
• Services provided by family farmers;
• Identification, utilization and market development for locally
produced, nutritious foods;
• Impact of healthy diets and improved nutrition on the health
of various population groups (develop diet quality assessment
tools);
1.2. Enhanced political 1.2.A. Awareness-raising and 1.2.1. Develop awareness training and advocacy campaigns,
and financial commitment advocacy initiatives improving the tools and materials targeted to specific population groups on
and public awareness to understanding of different actors the simultaneous contributions of family farming to social,
support diverse and multi- on family farming-related matters environmental and economic development.
layered contributions carried out.
of family farming to
1.2.2. Raise public awareness both in rural and urban areas
sustainable development.
1.2.B. Continuous, meaningful, on family farmers’ contributions to public health, promote the
coherent and active political and consumption of healthy and nutritious diets of family farmers.
financial engagement ensured.
24Indicators Target for Target for
biennium UNDFF
(2020-2021)
• Sustainable innovation done by family farming; Number of countries with 30 60
• Family farming integrated in urban and territorial food systems increased level of availability,
planning (including local government strategies for ensuring food accessibility, quality and usage
security and nutrition); of sector/cross-sectoral data
and analytical tools/products
• Risk management strategies;
that are used in decision-
• Share of family farming products for consumption, export and making processes pertaining to
supplied to agribusiness; and family farming.
• Investment trends related to family farmers, etc.
1.14. Promote the development of accessible data-repository systems
including data relevant to different areas of family farming for public
policy development purposes.
1.1.5. Provide gender- and age-disaggregated data (by using the
Women’s Empowerment in Agriculture Index /WEAI/).
1.1.6. Provide support to strengthen and facilitate integrated and
multisectoral research based on the local, traditional and indigenous
knowledge of family farmers at local, national, regional and inter-
regional levels.
1.1.7. Create clear, usable indicators and analytic tools for
development of policies, to effectively reach family farming in all
sectors, monitoring their implementation and effectiveness.
1.2.3. Promote continuous multi-actor dialogue to build coherent Number of countries with 100 150
and active political commitment with appropriate financing for the increased level of commitment
support of family farming. and capacity to adopt
comprehensive sectoral and/
or cross-sectoral policies,
1.2.4. Provide technical assistance to integrate the multidimensional
strategies and investment
practices of family farming into national policies/strategies.
programmes to support the
multi-layered contributions
1.2.5. Disseminate and share existing public policies on family of family farming to social,
farming. economic and sustainable
development.
25Outcomes Outputs Indicative actions from global to local level
PILLAR 1. Develop an enabling policy environment to strengthen family farming
1.3. Inclusive and 1.3.A. Governance, coordination and 1.3.1. Promote the equal participation of women and youth in family
effective governance for accountable policy mechanisms (for farming-related governance mechanisms.
comprehensive, family design, implementation, monitoring)
farming-focused policy with meaningful and effective
design, implementation participation of family farmers and 1.3.2. Provide capacity development for governments at all levels,
and monitoring enhanced. their organizations in place. family farmer organizations and other relevant actors to effectively
participate in and manage collaborative multi-sectorial and multi-
actor governance mechanisms/decision-making processes.
1.3.B. Governance mechanisms
facilitating family farmers’ linkages
to other sectors, in particularly 1.3.3. Provide capacity development for family farmers and their
with social policies, territorial/rural organizations, in particular women and youth, on technical and advocacy
development, landscape approaches, skills and promote their active participation in policy processes at all
etc. in place. levels (development, implementation and monitoring) for effective, well-
tailored and integrated policies supporting family farming.
1.4. Increased coherence 1.4.A. Increased capacities to 1.4.1. Increase the use of global policy instruments and guidelines
and integration between develop effective and coherent relevant for family farming.15
family farming-related policies for the support of family
policies and legislations. farming.
1.4.2. Provide coordinated capacity development to strengthen and
update legal and institutional frameworks including through multi-
1.4.B. Coherent policy frameworks lateral cooperation and parliamentary alliances to diagnose critical
for the support of family farming in constraints faced by family farmers, to better tailor, prioritize and target
place and applied at different levels interventions and investments for the support of family farming.
(from local to global).
1.4.3. Conduct, review and promote strengthened interconnections
1.4.C. Increased financial and synergies between public policies in agriculture with poverty
commitment and investment in the reduction and food security and nutrition policies, including those
implementation of legislative and related to employment generation, social protection and other
policy frameworks. programmes which promote sustainable rural-urban development.
15 A non-exhaustive list of instruments include: Committee on World Food Security CFS policy recommendations.
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